Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco becomes a free agent on Monday, and the 41-year-old is not short on options. The former Super Bowl MVP wants a legitimate shot at a starting role, but if that market doesn’t develop the way he hopes, Cincinnati is firmly on his radar.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that Flacco would strongly consider returning to the Bengals as a backup, having already established himself there in 2025 when he filled in for star quarterback Joe Burrow and earned his first career Pro Bowl selection in his 18 NFL seasons.
Burrow suffered a turf toe injury during a Week 2 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars last fall, which eventually forced Cincinnati to act. After struggling through three games with Jake Browning, the Bengals traded a fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Flacco and a sixth-round pick, hoping the veteran could keep the offense functioning.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) smiles with head coach Zac Taylor in the second quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
He did more than that in stretches. Flacco completed 158 of 254 pass attempts for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine appearances. One of his more memorable outings came against Pittsburgh, in the game, he connected with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase 16 times for 161 yards and a touchdown in a 33-31 Thursday Night Football win, setting Cincinnati’s single-game catches record.
Veteran QB Joe Flacco, who will be a free agent Monday, wants an opportunity to at least compete for a starting job. But if he’s a backup, sources say, Flacco would strongly consider a return to Cincinnati, where he filled in for Joe Burrow last fall and made his first Pro Bowl. pic.twitter.com/SktpE1Eajl
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2026
Flacco’s First Pro Bowl Came at 40, and the Market Has Noticed
ESPN insider Dan Graziano reported that teams around the league have interest in Flacco, and noted that many personnel people at the NFL Combine expected him to follow former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to the Atlanta Falcons, where Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 11.
Flacco already knows Stefanski’s system well from multiple stints together in Cleveland. That familiarity makes the Atlanta fit credible. But it is not the only destination in play.
Spotrac’s calculated market value for Flacco is a one-year deal worth approximately $5.6 million, which would feature the largest base salary he has signed for since losing his starting job
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) shake hands after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) shake hands after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Bengals are not approaching this as a secondary concern. Burrow has dealt with two significant injuries over the past three years, and the backup quarterback position is no longer one Cincinnati can take lightly.
Cincinnati currently projects over $54 million in cap space, giving the front office enough room to make a competitive offer.
What happens next depends largely on Flacco’s own priorities. He told reporters in January when asked about retirement: “I don’t really think about those things. I’m just being myself,” suggesting Flacco is not closing doors prematurely.
If a starting opportunity materializes in Atlanta or elsewhere, the Bengals may not be able to match what that offers. But with free agency opening Monday, how quickly his market takes shape will likely decide where he lands, and whether Cincinnati gets to keep the backup it now knows it needs.